The Musical Dynasty

Hello, my name is Jiang. I am traveling along the Yangtze River from Nanjing to Shanghai. Currently, the Tang Dynasty is ruling. I will be traveling by boat. I will be keeping track of my journey in my journal. Nanjing is an age-old city that was civilized  some 6,000 years ago. Nanjing is a very beautiful and interesting city. Currently, literature, scroll painting, music, dance and art is very popular and is encouraged. Right now, I am traveling on a boat. Many houses are on the banks of the Yangtze River. I see that those people that live in those towns rely on the Yangtze River for many reason like it is a source of food, water and a place to bathe and wash clothes. These people literally live on the Yangtze River. I can hear music and can see many different instruments being played by people with their families. Suddenly, a man said to come to his house. I know that these people are very friendly and inviting. I asked him what his name is. He said that his name is Chao. Chao looked like he was about 40 years old. Right away, he told me many things like how he makes a living and what religion he believes in. He said that he believes in Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. I think that is pretty amazing. After he showed me around his house, he invited me to have dinner with him and stay the night. I accepted his invitation gladly. For dinner, he prepared some rice and some vegetables like roots and turnips. That was the best rice ever. Before we ate, he said a prayer. I thanked him for the delicious food gratefully. He said you are welcome. After dinner, everyone in his town gathered around a tree and watched as some women do a religious dance. The women were wearing beautiful and green silk dresses with jewels on them. We walked back to Chao’s house and I went to sleep.